‘Without a poster, you don’t exist!’ – on the curious political banners of Mumbai

Across South Asian cities, it’s common to see posters celebrating religious festivals and advertising political events that feature colourful, Photoshopped collages of public figures. These eye-catching banners function as publicity tools, signifying a level of local social status. However, what was once a demonstration of power employed mainly by elites has recently become more democratised, accessible to anyone with a smartphone, a little bit of money and the ambition to make it happen.

The short documentary Party Poster follows a group of laundrymen in the suburb of Bandra in Mumbai as they design and hang up a poster to celebrate the Ganeshotsav Hindu festival. With each picture and face placement endlessly fussed over, the group hopes the final product might elevate them politically – or at least garner plenty of Likes and nice comments on Facebook. Filmed in 2020 amid India’s COVID-19 outbreak, the Mumbai-based director Rishi Chandna’s slice-of-life documentary offers a wry commentary at the intersection of religion, class, politics and self-image in the digital age.